The Planned vs Unplanned shots with Photographer Stas Moiseev: Rome Wedding Feature

The Gear and Details

Camera & Lenses:
Sony Alpha A 1
Sony Alpha 7R V
Leica Minilux (film camera)
Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM
Sony FE 28–70mm f/2 GM

Flash: Profoto A2

Coverage: 2 photographers, 15 hours of coverage, 2 days

Photographer: Stas Moiseev

Setting the Scene

“I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with moodboards. I make one for every wedding. I spend time getting to know the couple, listening to what they love, what they don’t, what they’re excited about, etc - then I put together a visual world that feels like them, but seen through my eyes.

And the funny thing is, we almost never follow it. We might start with a reference or an interesting composition.. But then the couple starts talking, laughing, moving in their own way. And suddenly, the photograph has absolutely nothing to do with the reference anymore.”

Getting Ready

“My approach to getting ready always depends on the couple and what they actually want. Some couples love the idea of having a few more editorial, posed portraits during this part of the day. Others prefer to keep everything completely natural and documentary. I’m happy with both, and I think it’s important to understand what feels right for each couple.

With Katharine, we wanted to create a few portraits before she put on her wedding dress.
My job was pretty simple just suggest where to stand and where to look. I photographed almost everything during getting ready with natural light except a few frames I shot on film with flash.

I like having that freedom to move between different approaches. Not every photograph needs to have the same feeling, even when they’re taken just a few minutes apart.”

Ceremony

“I always work with a second photographer so I can follow the bride’s entrance while they catch the groom’s reaction, giving us both sides of the moment without getting in each other’s way. At Katharine and Jesse’s ceremony, we had to keep adjusting for patches of sunlight and shade as the couple moved. I also set a drone to photograph every three seconds, capturing the entrances and exits from above and showing more of the setting than we could from the ground.”

Portraits

“One thing I knew from the beginning was that I wanted to shoot a lot of portraits with my 24mm lens. I absolutely love wide-angle photography, especially when everything in the frame is sharp and in focus. So I stopped down the aperture to get as much detail as possible. There’s something about this combination that I really love. The wide perspective, the depth, the way you can feel the space around the couple.”

‘THE WINDOW SHOT’
This is one of those photographs that looks almost too perfectly composed to be spontaneous. But it was completely unplanned. My second photographer and I suddenly heard people cheering, shouting, and whistling. We had no idea what was happening, so we started looking around and spotted Katharine and Jesse up in the window. We reacted as quickly as we could, and this was the result.

‘THE VEIL’
This is actually one of those photographs that was never part of the moodboard. Katharine had a very specific idea, she wanted a few photographs with the veil covering both of them. So we did that. And when we were finished, she started lifting the veil with her hands. I immediately saw something beautiful in that movement and asked her to do it one more time.

Reception

“With everyone dressed the way they were, Katharine and Jesse’s reception at Villa Aurelia almost felt like a fashion party, and direct flash suited it perfectly. But when the sunset fell across the long dinner table, I wanted to keep that warmth, so I switched to available light. I went back and forth throughout the evening, letting the light and what was happening in front of me guide those choices.”

‘A MESSY EDITORIAL MOMENT’
When Jesse asked for a few photographs of them smoking at the welcome party, I pictured something a little messy and provocative, like a candid frame from a fashion magazine. I stopped down the aperture and used direct flash, but gave them no direction on where to stand or what to do. The visual approach was deliberate; the talking, smoking, and moving around was all them.

Closing Thoughts

“Katharine and Jesse made the wedding so much their own, and that gave me room to experiment with light and make photographs that felt like a fashion editorial, then catch something completely spontaneous a few seconds later. I’m glad the photographs don’t all have the same mood, because neither did the wedding.”

— Stas Moiseev